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Iker Casillas
Spanish |position = Goalkeeper |team = FC Porto }} Iker Casillas Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: kaˈsiʎas ferˈnandeθ; born 20 May 1981) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club FC Porto and the Spain national team as a goalkeeper. Casillas began his youth career with Real Madrid in 1990. After gaining promotion to the senior team in 1999, he remained with the club for sixteen seasons, later serving as the club's captain. During his highly successful time at the Madrid club, he won five La Liga titles (2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12), two Copa del Rey titles (2010–11, 2013–14), four Supercopa de España titles (2001, 2003, 2008, 2012), three UEFA Champions League titles (1999–2000, 2001–02, 2013–14), two UEFA Super Cups (2002, 2014), two Intercontinental Cups (1998, 2002), and the FIFA Club World Cup (2014). With 725 appearances for the club, Casillas is Madrid's second most capped player of all-time after Raúl. Casillas debuted for the Spanish national team in June 2000 at the age of 19. To date he has made a national record 167 appearances, making him the joing sixth-most capped male footballer in history, and the joint most capped European player of all time. He became the nation's first choice goalkeeper at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and went on to play at UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In 2008, he was made captain of the Spanish team, leading them to their first European Championship in 44 years by winning Euro 2008. Under Casillas's captaincy, Spain went on to win its first ever World Cup in 2010 and retain the European Championship in 2012. At the 2014 World Cup, Casillas and teammate Xavi joined Andoni Zubizarreta and Fernando Hierro in representing Spain at four World Cups. Having won the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award for a record five consecutive years, Casillas is considered as one of the greatest and most successful goalkeepers of all time, placing second behind Gianluigi Buffon in both the IFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the past decade and quarter-century awards in 2010. Nicknamed "San Iker" ("Saint Iker") for his ability to produce spectacular saves, in his prime he was an athletic keeper, known for his quick reactions, and outstanding shot-stopping ability. Casillas was nominated for the European Footballer of the Year award in 2008, ranking fourth overall. At the end of 2012, he was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year for a record sixth consecutive time; he also holds the record for most appearances by a goalkeeper in the FIFPro World XI. As of 2011, Casillas is one of a very select group of players who have won all major club and national championship titles. On 19 October 2010, he became the goalkeeper with most appearances of all time in the Champions League and in November 2011, he became the most capped player of all time for the Spain national team. In September 2015, he became the player with the most appearances in the UEFA Champions League. With 167 caps for the national team, Casillas is the third captain in football history to lift the World Cup trophy, the Champions League trophy and the European Championship trophy, after Franz Beckenbauer and Didier Deschamps. On 1 May 2019, during a training session with Porto he reported suffering chest pains and he was rushed to the nearest hospital, where he underwent heart surgery. The hospital found he had had a heart attack, and he was reported to be in a stable condition. He was ruled out for the rest of the season. While he appeared to be out of danger and was expected to make a full recovery, doctors warned that Casillas might never play professionally again due to the anticipated need for further treatment, ongoing medication, and a possible stent. He was released from hospital on 6 May 2019. Category:Article stubs Category:Players Category:Goalkeepers Category:Spanish Players Category:Real Madrid players Category:FC Porto players Category:FIFA 10 Players Category:FIFA 11 Players Category:FIFA 12 Players Category:FIFA 13 Players Category:FIFA 14 Players Category:FIFA 15 Players Category:FIFA 16 Players Category:FIFA 17 Players Category:FIFA 18 Players Category:FIFA 19 Players Category:FIFA 20 Players